Lambassador Sam Kekovich

AUSTRALIA’S Lambassador Sam Kekovich will feature at the first World Merino Insight event in South Australia this September, heading up speakers and events showcasing Merino fibre and meat industries.

Famous for his annual Australia Day rants spruiking the benefits of eating lamb, Sam will feature in an action-packed program at the inaugural biennial event, to be held in Adelaide, South Australia, from September 4-9.

Early-bird registrations has opened for the event, which features a Merino Industry Innovation Day, conference, on-farm tours, networking with global contacts and visits to the Royal Adelaide Show judging and sale.

World Merino Insight co-chairs John Daniell, White River Stud, Minnipa, and Peter Meyer, Mulloorie Stud, Brinkworth said they were thrilled MerinoSA had secured the event as it was an outstanding opportunity to put Australia’s world-leading sheep and wool industries on a global stage.

Mr Daniell said it was exciting to have Sam Kekovich locked in as a special guest at the event given his 10-year stint fronting Meat & Livestock Australia’s extremely successful promotional and advertising lamb campaigns.

“Along with his sporting prowess and life experience, he’s an excellent speaker and will have some very insightful stories to tell us.

“We have a number of other special guests and announcements in the coming weeks so stay tuned for an exciting lead-up to the event,” Mr Daniell said.

The event for stud and commercial producers is supported by major presenting partners Thomas Foods International and Australian Wool Innovation, he said.

“We felt it was time to bring the Merino breeders of not just Australia, but the world together on a more regular basis.

“This represents one of those rare opportunities when the world Merino industry can unite behind our outstanding product and create new contacts and networks for continued trade and friendships in years to come,” he said.

The event has a national focus throughout its six-day program, with the TFI Merino Industry Innovation Day at Murray Bridge on Monday, September 5, to feature more than 60 trade and livestock exhibitors from across Australia and conclude with the Classings Classic Annual Sale, offering some of Australia’s finest hand-picked rams.

The World Merino Insight Conference, on Tuesday, September 6, has a ‘Global Merino Unity’ theme and will include speakers on international wool selling systems, manufacturing and processing, the future of lamb and mutton and genomics and gene mapping.

Delegates will attend the Royal Adelaide Show Merino and Poll Merino Judging, including the hugely popular Schools’ Merino Wether Competition, and network at the Rabobank Feature Breed Social Function on Wednesday, September 7, which includes a fashion parade showcasing garments from tafeSA fashion design students and AWI.

On Thursday, September 8, visitors will attend the Michell Wool Industry Tour, featuring a behind-the-scenes look at the Michell Wool processing facility, as well as on-farm visits to working Merino properties and several different locations in the iconic Barossa Valley.

The event concludes at the Royal Adelaide Show with the SA Stud Merino and Poll Merino Ram Sale on Friday, September 9 – with a selection of the world’s best Merino and Poll Merino rams to go under the hammer.

Mr Daniell said the committee is proud of the program and the opportunities it offers delegates to inspect outstanding Merinos and Poll Merinos from studs across Australia.

“Every day has a highlight, and the Adelaide Merino and Poll Merino Ram Sale, which is the best sale of its type in the world for the quality of sheep offered and prices made, will be a fitting finale.”

Mr Daniell said it is a “sensational” time to be in the Merino industry.

“Most lines of wool are up 100 to 150 cents a kilogram greasy on this time last year.

“Well-bred and well prepared clips are averaging $1800 a bale,” he said.

“A well-bred, well fed Merino ewe cutting eight-kilograms of wool, will return about $75 a head for wool, and its lamb-at-foot will make $80-$120, depending on when it is sold.

“If the old ewe is sold at about 33kg dressweight at $3/kg – it closes at about $300 income for the ewe-lamb unit – a very attractive financial proposition.”

Event sponsors include presenting partners TFI, AWI and MerinoSA, with Elders, Landmark, Rabobank, Quality Wool, the SA Sheep Industry Fund, Primary Industries and Regions SA, and the Royal Agricultural & Horticultural Society of SA.

Details: To register or find out more about the event visit www.worldmerinoinsight.com

Event enquiries: All Occasions Group, 08 8125 2200, [email protected]